The band played, the drums roared…..Recreational marijuana became legal yesterday in California. Prohibition over.

Within five years, most States will permit the use of recreational pot. The reason simple. Tax dollars! Big ones expected.

A few States will resist. Evangelicals, the extreme right their moving force. Those who refuse to learn, to accept. They will view legalized marijuana as morality tossed out the window.

My only stop last night the Chart Room. Quiet at first. Chatted with Shaun. Watched the beginning of the Oklahoma/Georgia game. I left at half time. My recollection Oklahoma winning by 17 points at the time.

While at the Chart Room, met Barbara and Joe. From Westchester, Pennsylvania. Barbara still working. A nurse. Joe, retired. A retired attorney and college educator who taught law classes.

They visit Key West frequently. Their Keys home on Little Torch Key. A mobile home destroyed by Irma.

We talked about the tragedy wrought by Irma. Barbara and Joe’s Little Torch home right in the middle of Irma’s blast.

Got into a discussion re retirement. Two retired attorneys. I ventured I went crazy with nothing to do. My blog born of that boredom. My other writings, TV show, weekly newspaper column, and podcast followed.

A voice joined us from the other end of the bar. Tomas Mazeika. An attorney, also! A partner in a major law firm in western United States with offices in most major west coast cities.

Tomas, Joe and I agreed on one thing. Practicing law was/is hard work! The issue arose when I mentioned how content I am writing. Told them I wished I had majored in English and became a writer rather than an attorney. I would not have made as much money, but life would have been a lot easier.

Headed home. I was interested in the Alabama/Clemson game.

Hopped in bed and turned on the game. No Alabama/Clemson. Oklahoma/Georgia still on. Georgia had come back. The game tied. Two overtimes. Georgia finally winning.

An exciting finish.

Began watching Alabama/Clemson. Fell asleep within minutes. Woke at 3:30. Curious as to who had won, I went to my office and turned on the computer. Alabama 24-6.

Georgia/Alabama has the makings of an exciting game!

The jet stream is out of its neighborhood. All the way down to southern U.S. states. Including Florida. The jet stream bringing Canadian cold to us.

Sixty one degrees in Key West at 8 this morning. High today 68. Cold tomorrow. Even colder beginning thursday. Evenings in the mid 50’s and days in the mid 60’s.

The heat on at on at the moment.

Trump acts without thinking. Shoots from the hip. Most times totally unaware of the consequences. Several months ago, Trump decided to get on Venezuela’s back. He heard the people were starving. They had been starving for four years.

He tweeted. Knocked Venezuela’s President Maduro. Threatened a U.S. invasion.

The U.S. invading Venezuela? Pure stupidity!

Maduro reacted. In effect said to Trump, up yours!

The story. The U.S. has been the beneficiary of a deal made many years ago involving oil. Basically means any crude oil transactions and those emanating therefrom, were to be in American dollars. Such kept the U.S. dollar stable.

China has been making noises in recent years that it would like to have countries use the Chinese yuan instead of the American dollar.

Maduro opened the door for China.

Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Venezuela went to the yuan. Russia and China announced they are going to the yuan. More countries will follow.

The U.S. at some point will experience an economic crisis. The stable American dollar will no longer be stable.

The beginning of the scenario occurring because Trump threatened to invade Venezuela.

I found my birth mother. A touching statement. Made not by me, but by another.

Let me share her story.

I was in Aqua last night watching Dueling Bartenders. Jean and Joe Thornton there, also. Jean introduced me to her sister. I was not aware Jean had a sister. A half sister. Her name Laura.

Jean was 37 when she received a telephone call from Laura. Laura then 25. Jean did not know she had a sister. Laura said, I am your sister, I am looking for our mother.

Jean was in Birmingham at the time. Laura in Nashville.

Their mother had not made Jean aware she had given birth to another child when Jean was 12 years old.

Laura was taken in by another family and eventually adopted by another.

Laura told Jean she wanted to meet her mother and Jean. Jean made the necessary arrangements and in due course the three met. Their Mother told Jean she had kept the birth secret.

A glorious meeting. Tears and joy. A unit since.

Laura is in key West visiting. She will be here till the end of the month. She now resides in Louisville.

Laura told me she refers to the woman who adopted/raised her as her Mom and her discovered mother as her birth mother.

Jean and Laura loving sisters. So they appeared and acted. Jean could not wait to introduce her sister to me.

God is good. He provided the path and determination for Laura to successfully discover her birth mother and sister.

A lucky threesome.

While still at Aqua, a lovely young lady approached and asked if I was Key West Lou. Her name, Pat Grady. A Key West resident. I am fortunate. A loyal blog reader. Thank you, Pat.

Great game last night! Clemson beat the perennial victor Alabama. By a touchdown made with one second remaining on the clock. The final score 35-31.

Wild!

Tonight Syracuse/West Virginia. West Virginia a 4.5 point favorite. I will stick my neck out. If Syracuse plays as it has in its last two game, Syracuse will win decisively.

I continue to learn.

Enzio Pinza was a great singer and movie actor in the 1950s. He was vacationing at the Casa Marina.

The mood at various times of the day at the Casa can be revealing, overwhelming. At some point one evening, Pinza was seated on the Casa’s terrace overlooking the ocean and moon. He was so taken by the sight, he stood and sang Some Enchanted Evening. A song he had made popular.

The Casa and Pinza singing a fitting combination.

I am listening to Session’s Senate confirmation hearing. Just began. Two Democratic senators have already spoken who have failed the Nation. Both were supportive of his nomination. Disgusting. The man is an obvious bigot. Will work to restrict civil and voting rights. Not support them.

I am ashamed of the two Democratic senators. They lacked the courage to do the right thing.

I have to hustle. Barb is visiting for two weeks. I pick her up at the airport in an hour.

They are feeding me. Though I do not think I look undernourished. I complain not, however.

Liz feeds me constantly. Cooking is her hobby. Great meals! Wonderful Christmas cookies! Dee recently brought me a big bowl of something good. I have yet to return the bowl. She keeps telling me not to forget.

The Dixon’s visit Key West 4-5 times a year. For years. Tom owns a small piece of the Ocean Key House.

Fran makes chocolate candies. She brings a couple of small bags to me each trip. Delicious!

Last night she out did herself.

The three of us were having dinner at Roostica. Fran said…..I have a surprise for you! Surprised I was!

She had a bag with her. Goodies for Louis.

Started with a box of home made pasta. Thin linguine. Made by Fran from scratch. Enough for two meals. Two plastic containers with Fran’s own home made sauce and meatballs. One for each meal. Bags of chocolate candies.

Fran and Tom brought it with them on the plane. The sauce was a concern. They packed it in a large container of ice which they placed in one of their bags. One that was checked. Upon arrival at Ocean Key, they placed the two sauce/meatball containers in a freezer till delivery to me last night.

Love you, Fran. Love you Liz and Dee. Continue preparing great dishes for me. At my age, it is not merely the food. It is the concern shown. Thank you!

The way Fran is going, I expect a half a cow next time! Don’t laugh. Upstate New York is a place for cows and slaughter houses. Many the time I bought a half a cow and froze the steaks, etc. Good for six months of meals.

Spent yesterday afternoon working on the introductory topic for tomorrow’s podcast show. Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. The subject matter involves Harry Truman’s mother in law. The tale reflects the character of Truman. His mother in law, also.

Watched the Golden Globes last night. Excellent show!

Two items outstanding.

La La Land and all the awards the show received. Musicals of the 1950-60 era have returned! I am anxious to see the movie.

Meryl Streep. America’s outstanding living female actor. Unquestionably. Her comments re the nation’s state of affairs and what she perceived as erroneous thinking on the part of Trump were right on. Her words made clear why Hollywood has turned its back on the soon to be President.

Don’t say…..Actors, what do they know! Remember that Ronald Reagan was an actor before becoming one of America’s greatest Presidents.

Tonight, Aqua first for Dueling Bartenders. Then Jack Flats or somewhere else to watch the Alabama/Clemson game.

Busy day yesterday. I was running behind in preparation for my blog talk radio show Tuesday Talk with Key West Lou. Became necessary to miss the anti-gravity treadmill.

The day was spent researching and organizing tonight’s show. Interesting topics. The $1.3 billion Powerball Jackpot. That kind of money worthy of comment. My thoughts re Trump and the Muslim woman at the South Carolina rally, meat we eat no longer required to be labeled as to country of origin (Thank you, Congress), number of US bombs dropped on Muslims in 2015 together with numbers as to who hit, sunday’s no pants subway ride. and more.

The show is at 9 my time. A quick hard hitting half hour. Join me. www.blogtalkradio.com/key-west-lou.

Dinner at Roostica. Got the only empty seat in the house. At the bar. The place packed. It was obvious why. Snowbirds! They are back in droves. Could tell by the conversations around me. Happy campers all!

The football game one of the best ever! Two great teams! Alabama and Clemson met head on. Alabama winning 45-40. It was a pleasure watching from the comfort of my bed.

Mike Shield’s son passed on several months ago. He was cremated. His ashes slowly cast into the ocean at the Simonton Pier sunday. By one of the visiting Tibetan monks. A warm spiritual disposition.

I am going to complain. I want to attend an event at The Studios of Key West. The opera A Thousand Splendid Suns. Thursday at 5. Went to buy two tickets on The Studios’ website. Tickets not available via the internet elsewhere.

The experience a disaster. The website itself is too long and too complicated. Forget that. My complaint is specifically directed to ticket ordering. Everything is required short of college grades. Too much info and too much time involved. Again, I just wanted two tickets.

I finally paid for two via my Visa card. There is still a problem. One of the many questions asked the name of the attendees. Not marked with an asterisk requiring the names be provided. I left it blank. No one’s business. Too much information as the saying goes.

My computer receipt does not list two tickets in my name. It did have two blank spaces labeled attendees. I have this uncomfortable feeling I may have paid but there will be no record of it.